In sports, in performing manual labor, and in military operations, injuries to both soft tissue and bone may occur due to impact forces. Other injuries may result form repetitive pressure on a body part, such as occurs when kneeling. Systems for providing plates to absorb or spread such forces are known and are used. However, while affording such protection, they are uncomfortable to wear, often shift location with repeated flexing, may require additional exertion to bend, and may limit the range of motion to less that of which a human can reasonably perform without injury.